Football and the Coronavirus

Colonel_Klinck · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:38

I did say "teams outside the Prem"

Looks like they are already arguing on what happens next

Coronavirus: 'Tensions' between EFL and Premier League over how to respond

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51852461

BaZ87 · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:44

Sorry, I misread.

It really is looking like the only sensible decision could be for long delays that will allow games to be played as normal, with fans, at some point later in the year. All other solutions will have huge knock on effects and could seriously risk the survival of huge numbers of clubs.

Journey · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:48

When you get to a stage that you can't 'afford' to play a ---GAME--- anymore if there aren't enough fans attending you know the sport isn't about the sport merely about making money for the clubs to pay huge wages.

Run the games without fans, or suspend them. If one single death is attributed to the virus being passed on to a life long fan of a club who went to a game that should not have been held then that price is too high. Refund all tickets purchased and remaining season tickets, and start acting like humans matter not a lump of leather.

Pigeon_Killer · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:49

Few reports saying a Premiership club is testing players after 3 first team players displayed symptoms.

The_One · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:50

https://twitter.com/JBurtTelegraph/status/1238082965030211584?s=20

Was only a matter of time

prem league halt incoming.....

Mark1989 · 12 Mar 2020 at 12:59

BaZ87 said:
Sorry, I misread.

It really is looking like the only sensible decision could be for long delays that will allow games to be played as normal, with fans, at some point later in the year. All other solutions will have huge knock on effects and could seriously risk the survival of huge numbers of clubs.

Delay them to when though? Even in a normal season they can't schedule well at all let alone find even more games to cram in.

BaZ87 · 12 Mar 2020 at 13:09

Mark1989 said:
Delay them to when though? Even in a normal season they can't schedule well at all let alone find even more games to cram in.

That will depend on just how long games would need to be postponed. With the International break coming up, you could postpone the season for a 5 weeks from today and only need to rearrange 4 rounds of fixtures. Those games could be played over 2 weeks at the end of the season which wouldn't be hugely disruptive to the calendar.

adam cool dude · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:08

Why even close the gates. Just ban the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. At the end of they day if you have a group of friends you are just going to watch it at home on the telly together and it will spread that way regardless. All this Coronavirus containment just seems as knee jerk because no one has a clue. Only time games should be postponed is if players have it and cannot play.

Robbo · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:27

So UEFA have arranged a meeting for Tuesday. Great idea.

Pigeon_Killer · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:32

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51856906

3 players are from Leicester.

Shamikebab · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:37

adam cool dude said:
Why even close the gates. Just ban the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. At the end of they day if you have a group of friends you are just going to watch it at home on the telly together and it will spread that way regardless. All this Coronavirus containment just seems as knee jerk because no one has a clue. Only time games should be postponed is if players have it and cannot play.

You realise those people will then go on to infect others? Including the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

fez · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:40

adam cool dude said:
Why even close the gates. Just ban the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. At the end of they day if you have a group of friends you are just going to watch it at home on the telly together and it will spread that way regardless. All this Coronavirus containment just seems as knee jerk because no one has a clue. Only time games should be postponed is if players have it and cannot play.

People who do not fit into that category are dying from this and where do you think those 75,000 people are going to go after the match. The issue isn't so much that healthy people get it, its that they transfer it to people who are not in good shape. Infecting as much of the healthy population with it as possible would just lead to everyone who isn't healthy getting it that much easier.

BaZ87 · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:41

The article says their symptoms haven't reached the threshold to be tested. Obviously it's right to be cautious but there's going to be lots of false alarms from people just having a cold.

BaZ87 · 12 Mar 2020 at 14:42

Supposedly L’Équipe are reporting that UEFA will announce on tuesday that the Euros will be postponed until 2021, to allow competitions to be finished during the summer.

Colonel_Klinck · 12 Mar 2020 at 15:32

adam cool dude said:
Why even close the gates. Just ban the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. At the end of they day if you have a group of friends you are just going to watch it at home on the telly together and it will spread that way regardless. All this Coronavirus containment just seems as knee jerk because no one has a clue. Only time games should be postponed is if players have it and cannot play.

posts like this make me wonder how we got this far. There is ample information out there now from renowned scientists that aren’t difficult to access. If you don’t want to read listen to Joe Rogan’s podcast with Micheal Osterholm who explains what we are potentially facing. This isn’t going away in a couple of weeks. We have months of this ahead.

rhysduck · 12 Mar 2020 at 15:44

Euro 2020: Uefa to discuss possibility of postponing tournament by one year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51859548

Meeting taking place on Tuesday. Discussions will cover all domestic and European competitions, including Euro 2020.

adam cool dude · 12 Mar 2020 at 16:11

Shamikebab said:
You realise those people will then go on to infect others? Including the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

That's why we should be doing it at the root cause and protecting the weak and elderly.

You tell people to stop watching football. They will find other means to do it as a group and it will spread regardless. Just look at prohibition.

Ske · 12 Mar 2020 at 16:39

Wales vs USA is off. Boo

Pigeon_Killer · 12 Mar 2020 at 16:54

What are the likes of BT and Sky gonna do with Sports subscriptions if there's nothing for them to show?

I'm thinking I'm going to cancel my BT Sports subscription as I'm not in contract.

Bulb01 · 12 Mar 2020 at 21:06

Hopefully the "suspended" competitions don't try and dominate the summer. Top league clubs need to arrange friendlies with those from the lower leagues instead to give them revenue boosts that will allow them to survive.

A few million lost from match day revenue isn't much to the big clubs but it's everything to some smaller ones.